'Interesting!' Mahito and Nanami had been fighting for a while now.
"My cursed technique can divide a subject with lines and forcibly create a weak spot at a ratio point of seven to three." Nanami suddenly began explaining his technique once more.
"However, the lines don't have to measure up to the target's full length or wingspan." He rushed forward, but not at Mahito this time. "Head, torso, biceps, forearms. I can decide what part to divide."
'He's divulging his technique!' Mahito questioned himself as he prepared. "You're not playing around."
"And this technique is also applicable to nonliving things," Nanami finished as he thought to himself.
'In order to exorcise this spirit, I'll have to either keep dealing damage until it runs out of cursed energy, which isn't realistic... Completely destroy him with one blow.'
He increased his speed as he wound back his arm.
**RATIO TECHNIQUE: COLLAPSE**
Nanami's fist slammed into the wall with a wham, shattering it instantly as Mahito's eyes widened.
'He expanded his cursed technique and applied it to the destruction!! A large-scale attack, and he doesn't care if he gets hit while doing it... I better—'
"Dodge this?" Nanami asked, blitzing at Mahito and using the ratio technique to break his leg in a single slash.
"I shall take my leave. You should do the same after you fix your leg. We'll meet again, if we're both still alive by then," Nanami said over his shoulder as he left Mahito to fate.
———————————————————
"Huh, an earthquake?"
"Yeah, felt like about a 2.0?"
Yuji and Junpei were together at the stairs beside a bridge as Yuji was calling Ijichi.
"No good, I can't reach Ijichi. Can I just start questioning without him now?" Yuji muttered to himself as Junpei sat on the steps in silence.
'Can I be straight with him? How much about Jujutsu High can I tell him? What should I do?' Yuji complained mentally as Junpei thought about something.
'Weren't sorcerers Mahito's enemies?' Junpei wondered, when Yuji shouted suddenly.
"Argh! Forget it! I'll just ask him!!"
"Hey, people died at the movie theater you went to. Did you see anything? Maybe something weird like this thing?" Yuji held up another fly head, pointing at it.
Junpei thought about Mahito for a moment before speaking. "No, I didn't. I only became able to see things recently."
"Oh..." Yuji looked. "Then I got nothing else for ya."
"That's it?" Junpei raised a brow.
"But my superior's coming soon, so can you wait a bit?" Yuji sat beside Junpei.
"Sure."
"Anyway, what movie were you watching?"
"It's an old movie. You wouldn't know it."
"Tell me! Tell me!"
"Earth-Worm Man 3."
"That's such a boring movie. I got punched a few times watching it."
'He's seen it?'
"Sheesh. But it's a splatter film, so I guess it's not the kind of movie where you expect some kind of story."
"But the second—" Junpei was cut off by Yuji.
"But the second one was actually not bad!" The two stared at each other before Junpei got excited.
"Yeah! Exactly! The second movie has some redeeming qualities!" Junpei agreed with Yuji and honestly felt glad he had common ground to talk about with someone for once.
Unbeknownst to them, up on the bridge overlooking the two, Kenjaku stood, wearing a hoodie to cover his features as he smiled at Yuji.
"Jackpot," he said softly, already planning how to use this to his advantage, when suddenly he felt Sukuna's presence focusing on him as if he could see him.
Focusing on Yuji's face as he happily chatted with Junpei, he saw that under one of Yuji's eyes, a glowing rainbow-colored eye was locked onto him as if seeing a meal.
'What intense fighting spirit. I didn't upset Sukuna or anything, did I?' Kenjaku wondered as he decided it was best to leave so he could continue his plans.
———————————————————
Within Sukuna's innate domain, he was looking at Kenjaku with a grin. He really wants to fight that guy—he was the only other known sorcerer with an open barrier domain, right? How would their domains clash? Would it be similar to that alternate version of himself?
"Hehe, so many questions, so many battles... I fear I'm growing impatient already. I'm not sure I can hold on until the culling games, or even Shibuya for that matter." Sukuna took a deep breath.
He had fully grown used to his enhanced body and technique after fighting that Sage, but it wasn't enough anymore. He wanted more interesting battles, more fun.
"Kenjaku is more crafty than strong. At least compared to Gojo and the current me. I should have some fun with the system then. Or maybe with Mahito during his and Yuji's first fight."
"I saw tons of weaknesses on him using Search, and now I'll use it to keep tabs on him until I get the chance to fight him one-on-one. This should be very interesting..."
———————————————————
"At first glance, part 2 isn't any different than 1 or 3."
"The way a perfectionist is willing to lay everything out there is beautifully portrayed," Yuji said as he and Junpei continued talking.
"I couldn't figure out why I liked it so much, but I guess that's the reason."
"I watched it three times. It was also the one with the most intense gore, so it was a bit much..." Junpei said with a sigh.
"Why'd you put yourself through that?" Yuji said, exasperated.
"So you like movies, Itadori?"
"Special circumstances had me watching a bunch lately, but not in the theater," Yuji said, resting his head on his hand.
"Oh yeah? Great movies are really worth watching at the theater." Junpei smiled.
"I can't even remember the last time I went; you gotta take me sometime," Yuji said as Junpei froze.
"Oh. How can I contact you?"
"Here." Yuji held out his phone, when a woman called out to Junpei.
"Huh? Junpei?"
"Who's that?" Yuji asked, looking back.
"Mom!"
The woman blew out some smoke as she walked down the steps towards them. "Is this a friend?" she asked, hands in her pockets as a single grocery bag rested on her arm.
"I just met him."
"We just met, but I think we'll get along!" Yuji said, waving hello.
"What's your name?"
"Yuji Itadori! You and spring onions really don't match!"
"I know, right? I'm aiming to be a lady that doesn't go with spring onions." She smiled.
"What're they talking about?" Junpei muttered when he noticed his mom was smoking as he took the cigarette. "I thought I told you to stop smoking!"
"Yeah, yeah." She sighed as she handed him her pocket ashtray. "Yuji, how about joining us for dinner?"
"Hey!" Junpei said as he and his mom entered a small argument.
"Don't be a pain!"
"My food's a pain?" she said, a tick mark appearing on her forehead.
That was when Yuji's stomach grumbled, making Junpei sigh as, soon enough, all of them went to Junpei's house.
"You got anything you can't eat?"
"Nope!" Yuji said happily.
———————————————————
Back in the sewers where Nanami and Mahito battled, a pale blob was squeezing itself free beneath all the rubble. Upon freeing itself, it reformed into none other than Mahito. His clothes were destroyed, but he was alive.
"Ha ha ha! Like I thought, that sorcerer's nuts!" He laughed as a voice spoke behind him.
"You guys really went all out."
"Geto!" Mahito smiled. "He was an interesting guy. I learned a lot."
"Is that so?" Kenjaku said, his hood down as he kept his hands pocketed.
"Even if I'm crushed to bits, as long as I can sustain my soul's shape, I won't die. My cursed energy is also controlled by my will," Mahito explained, sitting up properly. "And it seems like I can freely manipulate the shape of my soul without risks involved. Give me your clothes."
"No," Kenjaku responded with a fake smile.
Mahito continued: "I'll try a bunch of stuff next time."
"Where's the sorcerer?" Kenjaku asked as Mahito held his chin.
"Not sure. He said he'd retreat, but he might be trapped under the rubble."
———————————————————
"What?! You're at Junpei Yoshino's house?! You can't!" Ijichi said as he drove his car.
"It's no problem, we're watching movies!" Yuji said through the phone.
"Movies!" Ijichi was shocked Yuji could be so reckless with an unknown threat. "Understood, I'm on my way. But get outta there if you feel anything's off."
After that, he hung up the phone and began heading to the address given. "I gotta hurry!! I don't wanna cry in front of other people at this age!"
And then his phone rang again. "Uh... hello?"
"I've sent my coordinates, so please come pick me up," Nanami said, having washed off his wound from that battle with Mahito. "I need to head back to Jujutsu High to see Ieiri for some treatment."
"Treatment?!"
"Don't worry, it's not fatal."
'Thank goodness,' Ijichi thought before speaking up. "I'll pick up Itadori and head your way."
"You're not with him?" Nanami said as Ijichi froze, feeling intimidated.
After a bit of explaining, Nanami hung up as he thought back on the way Mahito spoke and acted.
'That cursed spirit is a child,' Nanami thought. He remembered that Gojo said that volcano cursed spirit could use Domain Expansion, yet this one couldn't. He also saw how Mahito truly enjoyed learning about himself and his technique, greedily enjoying his own growth in power.
'If we aren't quick in exorcising him, we might pass the point of no return.'
———————————————————
"And then?! And then?!" Junpei's mom was laughing with Yuji as he explained something funny.
"And then Takashi, with full confidence, said, 'It's an alien embryo!' and then picked it up. But it was just konnyaku yam noodles from lunch!!"
"Bwa ha ha ha!" She laughed even harder as Junpei sweat-dropped.
"Yam noodles, it was yam noodles!" She laughed, shaking Junpei by the shoulder.
"Mom, you're drunk," Junpei said, unamused, but she ignored him and picked up a tray.
"Yuji! Do something funny with this!"
'What an irritating drunk,' Junpei thought as Yuji grabbed the tray.
"WILSOOON! WILSOOON!" Yuji said, making Junpei laugh, spitting out his drink.
"T-That's from Cast Away, isn't it?!" Junpei asked through his coughing fit.
"Yup!" Yuji smiled as Junpei's mom was confused.
"Huh? I don't get it. Is it a movie?"
Eventually, Junpei's mom fell asleep as Yuji spoke. "Your mom's a great person."
"Yeah," Junpei agreed, putting a blanket over her.
Junpei remembered when his mom had helped him get through a tough time as he turned to Yuji. "What's your mom like?" he asked as Yuji looked at him.
"Oh, I, uh... never met her. I barely remember my dad either. I did have my grandpa, though." Yuji smiled, then his phone rang. "Oh sorry, that's my phone."
As he spoke to the person on the other line, Junpei smiled, feeling he'd made a real friend for the first time.
"You're a Jujutsu Sorcerer, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Yuji responded without hesitation.
"Have you ever killed anyone?" Junpei said as Yuji shook his head.
"No..."
"But you'll eventually run into bad sorcerers too, right? What'll you do then?"
"I'd still rather not kill anyone if possible."
"Why? They're bad people." Junpei couldn't see the logic.
"Um, I mean, the choice to kill will definitely find its way to me," Yuji started. "If I question the value of life at that point, then maybe the lives of those important to me will also become vague, and that honestly scares me."
Junpei didn't say anymore, and Yuji, seeing he'd asked all he wanted, left with a wave. Yet before Yuji got far, something different happened.
Before he made it all the way downstairs to the car, he stopped moving and black tattoos began forming on his body as the pair of eyes under his own opened.
"Sorry, brat. I won't let that finger stay from me any longer than I have to." Sukuna pushed back his hair and looked back at the apartment.